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Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Chelsea and Manchester City among clubs interested in Glenavon teen

Glenavon teenager Christopher Atherton continues to attract interest from across the water.

Premier League clubs including Chelsea and Manchester City are tracking the talented 13-year-old.

Atherton wrote his name in the history books last month when he made his senior debut for Glenavon in the League Cup.

Read more: That's What I Call Football podcast S5 Ep7

At just 13 years and 329 days he became the youngest player in the United Kingdom to play senior football.

The achievement saw Atherton's name beamed across the world with Sky Sports covering the story among other international broadcasters.

His stock is on the rise, and clubs are already circling the teenage forward, who has already been on trial with both Rangers and Dundee United.

Atherton has also been pictured in Chelsea colours at their Cobham Training Centre base, heightening speculation over his future.

Glenavon manager Gary Hamilton said after the teenager's senior debut last month: "Christopher is a joy to watch, and he is a great kid. But the work he does away from training at Glenavon and the dedication he has to become a professional footballer is unbelievable," Hamilton told Glenavon's YouTube channel.

"And that's what separates him from a lot of the other kids at the academy. He works night and day at his game, he eats the right foods, goes to bed at the right time.

"He does everything he can to become a better footballer and give himself the best opportunity to become a professional footballer.

"I have been watching him for years, and for a long time I have said he is the best player I have seen at his age. Listen, he has a long way to go, but if he keeps going the way he is and keeps being humble....

"He has good parents who keep him humble. They don't get too far of themselves, like some parents do.

"They are a credit to him, and he is a credit to himself and his family, the way he works. He came on tonight and didn't give the ball away once."

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